Machine for sealing newspapers, &amp; c.



No. 645,47l. Patented Mar. l3, I900. C.'VAN N. HOLLAND.

MACHINE FOR SEALING NEWSPAPERS, 8w.

(Application filed June 30, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

N0. 645,47l. Patented Mar. l3, I900.

- C. VAN N. HOLLAND.

MACHINE FOB SEALING NEWSPAPERS, 8w.

- (Application filed Jun 80, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2.

Wiipzsses A '53 lgaagfor W @Afiol u eyg I housings.

UNITED TATlIS PATENT Fries.

CLAUDE VAN NUYS HOLLAND, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

MACHINE FOR SEALING NEWSPAPERS, as.

SPECIFIQATION forming part of Letters latent No. 645,471, dated March 13, 1900.

Application filed June 30, 1898. Serial No. 6841827. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE VAN NUYs H on LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Machine for Sealing Newspapers, &o., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in *machines for sealing newspapers and other periodicals, such as books and the like, to prepare them for safe transmission in the mails; and the primary object of the inven tion is'to construct a machine with means by which a'strip of paper may be automatically fed a proper distance, gummed, out off at a suitable point, folded, and pressed around the paper or periodical, and receive a stamp or impression from a suit-able die, all of the operating devices being driven from a single shaft under the control of the attendant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which is simple and durable in construction, efficient and easily controlled in operation, and which is adapted for use on publications of different thicknesses.

' With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a plan view of a machine for sealing newspapers constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged elevations of opposite sides of the upper part of the machine, illustrating the operating mechanisms within the frame or housing. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional elevation on the plane indicated by the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating a part of the column, the head, and fragments of the Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the cam which reciprocates the slidable feed-plate. Fig. Sis a detail perspective view illustrating in perspective a seal affixed to one edge of a newspaper, a fragment of the latter being shown.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of the several fig ures of the drawings.

In carrying myinvention into practice I em ploy a vertical column 1 to sustain the table and operating parts of the machine at an elevation' suited to the convenience of the operator. This column is enlarged or widened at its foot to provide the enlarged base 2, by which the machine maybe firmly fastened to a floor, and to the upper end of this column is rigidly bolted a head 3, which sustains the frame that carries the working elements of the machine. This head 3 is of inverted-T shape, horizontal flanges at, and the head is assembled in relation to the column to have the flanges rest firmly upon the column substantially flush therewith. The head 3 is secured in position on the column by a bolt or bolts 6, and the spaces between the flanges 4 and the central web 5 form seats and for the reception of thelower edges of the housings 8 and 9. These housings constitute the framework that supports the several shafts of the operating parts, and the housings are fitted snugly to the seats of the head to abut against the web 5 thereof, a number of bolts 10 being employed to solidly fasten the housings to the head. The housings lie parallel to each otheron opposite sides of the vertical axis of the column, and they are constructed to provide a number of shaft-bearings, arms for the support of the supply-spool, and guides for the plunger and die, all as will be hereinafter more fully described. These housings are, furthermore, constructed with slots or recesses which are coincident with each other and arranged in a horizontal plane of the table, and these coincident horizontal slots or recesses open through the front edge of the housings and form a throat 11, which is adapted to fold the gumm'ed strip of paper around the edge of the newspaper or other periodical.

A table 12 is secured in any suitable way to the carrying-head 3, and this table serves to support a reciprocating feed-plate, presently referred to.

In suitable bearings 14 of the parallel housings is journaled a horizontal driving-shaft 13, and to one end of this shaft is fitted a driving-pulley 15, which is equipped with an orand it consists of a vertical web 5 and dinary clutch 16, which permits the pulley to remain idle on the shaft under normal conditions. A spring 17 is associated with this clutch to make the pulley free on the shaft, and the clutch is adapted to make the pulley fast with the shaft by the operation of a clutch-leverlS. Thisclutch-leveris provided at one end with a horizontal arm 20, and the lever itself is fulcrumed at a point intermediate of its length to a bracket 19, which is clamped or otherwise secured firmly in position on the column 1 at a point belowthe operating-table 12. The clutch-lever is operated by a treadle 22, which is hung or fulcrumed, as at 23, to the column at a point above the base, and this treadle is actively connected with the brake-lever 18 bya link 21.

The driving-shaft 13 is supported by its hearings on the housings at a point to one side of the vertical axis of the housings in the column, and within said housings is arranged an intermittent feed mechanism that serves to supply an endless web of paper at suitable intervals to a cutter mechanism, which severs the paper web in lengths preparatory to the gummed lengths of paper being folded around the edges of a newspaper or the like. This intermittent feed mechanism consists of the feed-rolls 24 and 25, which are constructed to grip the paper web at suitable intervals for the purpose of feeding the same-and to be free from the paper web in the intervals between the feed thereof, thus making the feedrolls grip and release the paper alternately, so as to attain the desired intermittent feed. The feed-roll 24 is carried by a shaft 26, journaled in suitable bearings in the housing on a plane above the driving-shaft 13, and this feed-roll is provided at one end with a driving gear-wheel 31, which meshes with a gearpinion 32, rigidly secured in a suitable wayto the driving-shaft 13, thus connectingthe feedroll 24 with the driving-shaft for the latterto positively rotate the gripping feed-roll. The other feed-roll 25 has its shaft 29 journaled idly in bearings 29 of the housings, and it is arranged in the horizontal plane of the positively-rotated roll 24 to coact therewith. The feed-roll 24 is constructed to provide the gripping-faces 27 and 28, which are located on diametrically-opposite sides of the circumference of said roll, and are preferably formed thereon by cutting away the surface of the roll at points between the gripping-faces, although this detail is immaterial. The feed roll 24 is of larger diameter at the portions thereof where the gripping-faces 27 and 28 are formed thereon, and each grippingace is approximately of a length equal to the length of the strip of paper which is to form the seal, adapted to be'folded around one edge of a newspaper.

The housings are provided with the upwardly-extending and inclined arms-3'2, and they are provided at their free ends with bearings 33, that support the shaft of a paper roll or spool 34. This spool consists of-a pair of disks secured to opposite ends of a tubular shaft that is fitted loosely on a solid shaft 35, supported by the bearings 33 of the arms, the paper-spool being adapted to rotate freely when the endless web of paper is drawn by the action of the feed-rolls. At one side of the idle paper-spool is arranged an idle guideroller 36, which has its shaft journaled in suitable bearings 37.

On the front edge of the housings at a point below the feed mechanism is provided a fixed cutter-block or abutment 38, and above this abutment are provided the journal-bearings 39,which support the rocking knife-shaft 40. To this shaft 40 is rigidly secured a knifeblock 41, on which is bolted a knife or blade 42, that rocks with the shaft and adapted to sweep close to one edge of the abutment or block 38 for thepurpose of severing the endless web of paper. This knife-shaft is vibrated or rocked at suitable intervals by means of a finger 43, which is secured rigidly to one end of the shaft 40, and upon this actuating-finger presses or bears a spring 44, which is suitably secured to one of the housings for the purpose of holding the finger in proper engagement or contact with a rotary cam 46 on acam-shaft 4S. This cam-shaft is journaled in suitable bearings below the feed roll 34 and at one side of the driving-shaft 13, and to one end of this cam-shaft is secured a gear-pinion 47, which meshes with a gear-' wheel 31 on the feed-roll shaft 26. This camshaft 48 is thus positively rotated through gear connections with the feed-roll 24 and the driving-shaft 13, and the gears are proportioned to make the kuife-shaft-rock or vibrate in unison with the rotations of the feedroll 24, thus bringing the knife mechanism into harmony with the intermittent feed mechanism, to the end that the proper length of paper may be positively fed by the feed mechanism and subsequently severed by the action of the rocking knife-shaft.-

The cam-shaft 48 serves not only to actuate the knife-shaff, but it also imparts positive movement to a plunger by which the strip of paper which forms the seal is pressed firmly around the folded edge of the periodical. To this end I provide a plunger-open ating cam 49 on the shaft 48, and this cam is arranged in position to act directly against the upper end of a reciprocating plunger 50, which is slidably fitted in suitable guides provided in the housings at a point above the folding-throat 11 therein. This plunger is normally maintained in its elevated position and in proper contact with its cam by a pressure-spring5l,preferably ofthe leaf construction, shown by Fig. 5 to have its lower end fixed to the housing and its upper end engaged with the plunger. This plunger is held by its spring normally above the strip-folding throat for the ready introduction of the paper or book into the throat and below the plunger, and said plunger is in vertical alinement with a die-block 52, which is seated in a suitable opening in the head 3 at a point below the slip-folding throat 11. This dieblock is maintained in place by suitable guides, and it is designed to be adjusted vertically by means of a screw 53, which finds a threaded bearing in the head 3 to engage with the lower end of the die-block 52,whereby the latter may be raised or lowered vertically with relation to the plunger for the purpose of varying the distance between the dieblock and plunger to accommodate the parts to newspapers or publications which may vary in bulk. The upper face of the die-block maybe provided with a suitable inscription as, for example, the name of the publicationso that a stamped impression maybe applied to the gummed strip as the latter is folded and pressed around a newspaper. The regulating-screw 53 extends below the carrierhead, and it is provided with a hand-wheel which is readilyaccessible to the operator.

As the endless web of paper is fed from the idle spool by the feed mechanism to the cutter devices one face thereof is gummed by liquid of a mucilaginous nature supplied from a paste-pot 55, which is hung by a bracket 56 on the bearings 29, that support the idle feed-roll, and this pot or vessel 55 is provided with a tapering spout 57, that extends into the path of feed of the endless paper. The contracted extremity of this spout has a transverse slot for the passage of the liquid to apply the same against one face of the endless paper web, and this slot is adapted to be opened more or less by avalve 58 to regulate the flow and supply of the liquid to the paper web.

The newspaper or other work is presented to the slip-folding throat and inserted between the coacting plunger and die-block by a reciprocating feed-plate 60, which rests upon the table 12 and is controlled by a spring and by the action of a rotary cam of the drivingshaft. To the under side of this feed-plate is rigidly secured a guide-bar 61, which travels with the feed-plate and is fitted for movement in a slot or recess 62, provided in the upper face of the table 12, and one end of this guide-bar is turned upwardly to form an arm 63, which lies in the path of a cam 65. The feed-plate is normally drawn toward the throat 11 in the housings by the tension of a coiled spring 64, one end of which is attached to a projecting end of the guide-bar 62, and its other end is attached to one of the hous ings, and this spring serves to normally hold the arm 63 of the bar in engagement with the cam 65. This cam isshown in detail byFig. 7 of the drawings, and one side thereof is partially cut away to form the recess 66, said cam being secured to the shaft 13 at a point adjacent to the driving-pulley. The feedplate is provided near one edge with a pair of alined fixed stops 67, which serve to properly position the paper or other publication on the plate prior to its presentation to the throat 11, and this feed-plate is also provided with an adjustable stop 68, which is fitted in a suitable guideway 69 to make the feedplate capable of carrying publications of different widths to the throat 11 and the plunger and die. On the feed-plate is provided a bowed lifting-finger 7 O, which is suitably attached to the plate and extends above the face thereof, and the front end of this lift ing-finger is practically 011 a line with the adjustable stop 68, so that the lifting-finger serves to raise the publication for the operator to readily thrust his fingers beneath the publication and remove the latter from the feed-plate.

The operation may be described as follows: In case it is desired to apply seals to a newspaper the papers are first folded and brought to the seal-affixing machine. The operator places a paper in proper position on the plate and depresses the treadle to move the clutch to a position where the pulley is made fast with the driving-shaft. The machine having been previously adjusted, the table, with the publication thereon, is drawn by the spring to present a folded edge of the publication in the throat 11 and against a gummed face of* a strip, and as the paper is moved into position in the throat the gummed strip is folded around the edge of the publication substantially as shown by Fig. 8. The several shafts being set in motion by the pulley on the shaft 13, one gripper-face of the feed-roller 24 coacts with the idle roll 25 to draw on the endless web of paper from the supply-spool, and thus feed the paper a distance equivalent to the length of the gripper-face, after which the endless web of paper is released from the feed-rollers. As the paper passes from the supply-spool to the feedrollers one face thereof is gu mmed by the spout of the pastepot, and the length of paper is passed between the knife abutment and the blade of the vibrating knife-shaft, which at the proper time is rocked to sever the length of paper fed by the action of the rolls 24 25. In the continued operation of the machine the circular edge of the cam rides against the arm 63, which is movable with the feed-plate, so as to force the latter and the paper away from the throat 11; but previous to withdrawal of the paper the plunger 50 is destrip firmlyaround the folded edge of the paper and force the strip upon the inscribed.

face of the guide-block, thus leaving an impression on the slip which constitutes the seal. As the feed-plate is retracted by the action of the cam the operator is able to readily remove the work from the plate and place another paper or publication on said plate, and this removal of the work and its replacement are effected in the intervals between the reciprocating play of the plate.

It will thus be seen that the machine serves to automatically feed a proper length of an endless paper web to form a seal, that one face of the seal is gummed, that the cutter mechanism severs the endless web into strips of proper length to form the seals, that the seal is folded and pressed upon thepublication, and that a stamped impression is applied to the seal. All of these operations are offected automatically and rapidly, and the machine is controlled by the attendant pressing the foot against the treadle to throw the driving-pulley into and out of service.

In connection with the described mechanisms Iemploy a guide 71, which serves to deliver the endless web of paper from the idle guide-roller to the cutter mechanism. This guide 71 is preferahly'in two parts for attachment to the respective housings, and it is arranged to receive and direct the endless web to the cutter mechanism and also to prevent the tension of the paper which is coiled on the supply-spool from drawing the endless,

web of paper upwardly and away from the feed-rollers when the roller 24 is in a position where its gripping-faces do not contact with the paper to coact with the roll 25.

I am aware that changes in the formand proportion of parts and in the details of construction may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as clearly fall within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In a seal-affixing machine, the combination of a frame or housing provided with a throat which is closed on three of its sides and open on its other side for the introduction therein of the work, a reciprocating feed device movable in the plane of the throat and adapted to carry the work therein, an intermittent feed mechanism for supplying a seal across the open side of the throat and in the path of said work-feed device, and a sealpressing mechanism operating transversely of the throat to firmly press the seal upon and around the work as the latter is thrust with the seal into the throat and between the members of the pressing device, substantially as described.

2. In a seal-affixing machine, a frame or housing provided with a throat having an open side for the introduction thereinto of the work, and a seal forming and pressing mechanism embracing a die and a reciprocating plunger spaced relatively to each other within the throat for the introduction therebetween of the work and a seal, said plunger being movable positively and intermittently with relation to the die and transversely of the throat, in combination with a reciprocating work-feedmechanism movable in the plane of the throat to introduce the work therein, and a seal-feeding mechanism arranged to interpose a seal across the open side of the throat and in the path of feed of the work to said throat and the seal-pressin g mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a seal-affixing machine, the combination of a frame or housing provided with a throat having an open side, a seal foldingand pressing mechanism with its members spaced relatively to each other within said throat with one member reciprocating transversely of the throat, a reciprocating work-feed device for thrusting the work into said throat and between the members of the seal folding and pressing mechanism, an intermittent seal-feeding mechanism arranged to introduce a seal across the open side of the throat in the intervals between the presentation of the work by the work-feed device to the throat, and a cutter mechanism actuated alternately to the feed of the seal-feeding mechanism for severing the seal, substantially as described.

4. In a sealaffixing machine, the combination of a throat open at one side thereof, a seal folding and pressing mechanism operating transversely of the throat and having its members situated within said throat and spaced relatively one to the other for the introduction therebetween of the seal and the work to which the seal is to be aiiixed, a reciprocating work-feed mechanism movable toward the throat for thrusting the work through the open side thereof and into the same, an idle supply-spool, a seal-feeding mechanism actuated in the intervals between the presentation of the work to the throat for drawing a seal-web from the spool and introducing the web in the space across the open side of the throat, and an intermittent cutter device contiguous to the throat and movable across the path of feed of the seal thereto, substantially as described.

5. In a seal-affixing machine, a seal folding and pressing mechanism having a relatively stationary die and a plunger operating transversely of the throat and normally in spaced relation to the die to form therebetween an opening or space for the introduction of the work and a seal, and means for positively moving the plunger at intervals toward the die, combined with a reciprocating work-feed table movable in the plane of the space in the seal folding and pressing mechanism and adapted to force the work and seal therein, an intermittent seal-feeding mechanism arranged at one side of the work-feed table to introduce a seal in the path of feed of said table, a cutter device operative in unison with the seal-feeding mechanism to sever the seal subsequent to its interposition in the path of the work-feed table, a supply-spool adjacent to the seal-feed mechanism, and a pasting mechanism, substantially as described.

6. In a seal-affixing machine, the combination with a reciprocating work-feed plate or table, of a pair of seal-pressing members arranged on opposite sides of the path of said feed-plate one of said members being stationary, and the other mounted to reciprocate transversely of the plane in which said feed plate or table moves, and actuating means a ICC for the feed-plate and transversely-operating seal-pressing member.

7. In a seal-affixing machine, the combination with a supply-spool, of a seal-folding throat open at one side thereof and closed on its remaining sides, an intermittent workfeed mechanism movable in the plane of the open side of said throat, a seal-feedin g mechanism to introduce a seal across the open side of the throat and in the path of the work-feed mechanism, a driving shaft for positively actuating the Work-feed mechanism and the seal-feed mechanism, a cutter mechanism adjacent to a throat and geared to the drivingshaft to be actuated thereby, and a paste-pot suspended between the seal-feed mechanism and the cutter mechanism for its spout to be presented to the paper seal-Web at a point between said seal-feed mechanism and a cutter, substantially as described.

8. In a seal-affixing machine, the combination of a seal folding and pressing mechanism embodying a relatively-stationary die and a reciprocating plunger which are in spaced relation to each other to provide therebetween a space or opening for the introduction of the work and a seal, an intermittent feed mechanism for placing a seal across the space between said die and plunger, a work-feed mechanism, a vibrating cutter-shaft having a controlling-finger, and a cam-shaft provided with cams, one of which controls the finger of the cutter-shaft and the other serves to positively actuate the plunger of the seal folding and pressing mechanism, substantially as described.

9. In a seal-affixing machine, a frame or housing provided with a throat which is open on one side for the introduction of the work therein, a seal folding and pressing mechanism having a plunger reciprocating transversely of the throat and a die-block situated within said throat and spaced relatively one to the other, in combination with a spring for normally sustaining the plunger in an ele vated position relatively to the die-block, a

cam-shaft to positively depress the plunger toward the die-block, a work-feeding device movable in the plane of'the open side ofthe throat and adapted to force the work and seal therein, and a seal-feeding mechanism, substantially as described.

10. In a seal-aflixing machine, the combination of a frame or housing provided with a throat which is open on one side thereof, a seal folding and pressing mechanism having its members situated Within said throat and normally in spaced relation to each other for the introduction therebetween of the work, a driving-shaft carrying a cam, a reciprocating work-feed table movable in the plane of the open side of the throat and impelled away from the same by the action of the cam thereon, a retractor to advance the Work-feed table toward the throat and force the work and seal therein, a seal-feeding mechanism for introducing a seal across the path of the work-feed table, and a cutter mechanism operative in unison with the seal-feed mechanism and the work-feed table, substantially as described.

11. In a seal-affixing machine, the combination of a frame or housing having athroat open on one side thereof, a reciprocating work-feed table adapted to carry the work and seal into the throat and provided with guides for the work and having a projecting arm, a driving-shaft having a cam to ride against said arm of the table, a spring to normally draw the table toward the open side of the throat in said frame,'a seal-feed mechanism for introducing a seal across the path of the work-feed table, and a cutter mechanism operative in unison with the seal-feed mechanism and the work-table, substantially as described.

In' testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CLAUDE VAN NUYS HOLLAND. W'itnesses:

FRANK E. CHASE, R. T. SKILES. 

